arXiv:1611.00395 · New Journal of Physics

Finite temperature quantum embedding theories for correlated systems

Dominika Zgid, Emanuel Gull

Published Jan 31, 2017• 86 citations

Abstract

The cost of the exact solution of the many-electron problem is believed to be exponential in the number of degrees of freedom, necessitating approximations that are controlled and accurate but numerically tractable. In this paper, we show that one of these approximations, the self-energy embedding theory (SEET), is derivable from a universal functional and therefore implicitly satisfies conservation laws and thermodynamic consistency. We also show how other approximations, such as the dynamical mean field theory and its combinations with many-body perturbation theory, can be understood as a special case of SEET and discuss how the additional freedom present in SEET can be used to obtain systematic convergence of results.

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aa5d34

Related papers

Testing self-energy embedding theory in combination with GW

Lan Nguyen Tran, Avijit Shee, Jia Zhao Li +2 more

We present a theoretical framework and implementation details for self-energy embedding theory (SEET) with the GW approximation for the treatment of weakly correlated degrees of freedom and configuration interactions solver for handing the strongly correlated degrees. On a series of molecular examples, for which the exact results are known within a given basis, we demonstrate that SEET(CI/GW) is a systematically improvable and well controlled method capable of giving accurate results and well behaved causal self-energies and Green's functions. We compare the theoretical framework of SEET(CI/GW) to that of GW+DMFT and comment on differences between these to approaches that aim to treat both strongly and weakly correlated simultaneously.

arXiv:1706.05774Physical review. B./Physical review. BOct 5, 201732 citations

Self-Energy Embedding Theory (SEET) for Periodic Systems

Alexander A. Rusakov, Sergei Iskakov, Lan Nguyen Tran +1 more

We present an implementation of the self-energy embedding theory (SEET) for periodic systems and provide a fully self-consistent embedding solution for a simple realistic periodic problem-one-dimensional (1D) crystalline hydrogen-that displays many of the features present in complex real materials. For this system, we observe a remarkable agreement between our finite-temperature periodic implementation results and well-established and accurate zero-temperature auxiliary quantum Monte Carlo data extrapolated to thermodynamic limit. We discuss differences and similarities with other Green's function embedding methods and provide the detailed algorithmic steps crucial for highly accurate and reproducible results.

arXiv:1809.04707Journal of Chemical Theory and ComputationDec 12, 201870 citations

Systematically improvable multiscale solver for correlated electron systems

Alexei A. Kananenka, Emanuel Gull, Dominika Zgid

The development of numerical methods capable of simulating realistic materials with strongly correlated electrons, with controllable errors, is a central challenge in quantum many-body physics. Here we describe a framework for a general multiscale method based on embedding a self-energy of a strongly correlated subsystem into a self-energy generated by a method able to treat large weakly correlated systems approximately. As an example, we present the embedding of an exact diagonalization self-energy into a self-energy generated from self-consistent second-order perturbation theory. Using a quantum impurity model, generated from a cluster dynamical mean field approximation to the two-dimensional Hubbard model, as a benchmark, we illustrate that our method allows us to obtain accurate results at a fraction of the cost of typical Monte Carlo calculations. We test the method in multiple regimes of interaction strengths and dopings of the model. The general embedding framework we present avoids difficulties such as double counting corrections, frequency-dependent interactions, or vertex functions. As it is solely formulated at the level of the single-particle Green's function, it provides a promising route for the simulation of realistic materials that are currently difficult to study with other methods.

arXiv:1410.5118Physical Review BMar 23, 201591 citations

Rigorous Ab Initio Quantum Embedding for Quantum Chemistry Using Green’s Function Theory: Screened Interaction, Nonlocal Self-Energy Relaxation, Orbital Basis, and Chemical Accuracy

Lan Nguyen Tran, Alexei A. Kananenka, Dominika Zgid

We present a detailed discussion of the self-energy embedding theory (SEET), which is a quantum embedding scheme allowing us to describe a chosen subsystem very accurately while keeping the description of the environment at a lower level. We apply SEET to molecular examples where our chosen subsystem is made out of a set of strongly correlated orbitals while the weakly correlated orbitals constitute an environment. Consequently, a highly accurate method is used to calculate the self-energy for the system, while a lower-level method is employed to find the self-energy for the environment. Such a self-energy separation is very general, and to make the SEET procedure applicable to multiple systems, a detailed and practical procedure for the evaluation of the system and environment self-energy is necessary. We list all of the intricacies for one of the possible procedures while focusing our discussion on many practical implementation aspects such as the choice of best orbital basis, impurity solver, and many steps necessary to reach chemical accuracy. Finally, on a set of carefully chosen molecular examples, we demonstrate that SEET, which is a controlled, systematically improvable Green's function method, can be as accurate as established wave function quantum chemistry methods.

arXiv:1606.07454Journal of Chemical Theory and ComputationSep 2, 201650 citations

Communication: Towards ab initio self-energy embedding theory in quantum chemistry

Lan Nguyen Tran, Alexei A. Kananenka, Dominika Zgid

The self-energy embedding theory (SEET), in which the active space self-energy is embedded in the self-energy obtained from a perturbative method treating the non-local correlation effects, was recently developed in our group. In SEET, the double counting problem does not appear and the accuracy can be improved either by increasing the perturbation order or by enlarging the active space. This method was first calibrated for the 2D Hubbard lattice showing promising results. In this paper, we report an extension of SEET to quantum chemical ab initio Hamiltonians for applications to molecular systems. The self-consistent second-order Green's function method is used to describe the non-local correlations, while the full configuration interaction method is carried out to capture strong correlation within the active space. Using few proof-of-concept examples, we show that SEET yields results of comparable quality to n-electron valence state second-order perturbation theory with the same active space, and furthermore, the full active space can be split into smaller active spaces without further implementation. Moreover, SEET avoids intruder states and does not require any high-order reduced density matrices. These advantages show that SEET is a promising method to describe physical and chemical properties of challenging molecules requiring large active spaces.

arXiv:1511.00986The Journal of Chemical PhysicsDec 23, 201597 citations

Nonequilibrium self-energy functional theory

Felix Hofmann, Martin Eckstein, Enrico Arrigoni +1 more

The self-energy functional theory (SFT) is generalized to describe the real-time dynamics of correlated lattice-fermion models far from thermal equilibrium. This is achieved by starting from a reformulation of the original equilibrium theory in terms of double-time Green's functions on the Keldysh-Matsubara contour. With the help of a generalized Luttinger-Ward functional, we construct a functional $\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\Omega}}[\ensuremath{\Sigma}]$ which is stationary at the physical (nonequilibrium) self-energy $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ and which yields the grand potential of the initial thermal state $\ensuremath{\Omega}$ at the physical point. Nonperturbative approximations can be defined by specifying a reference system that serves to generate trial self-energies. These self-energies are varied by varying the reference system's one-particle parameters on the Keldysh-Matsubara contour. In the case of thermal equilibrium, this approach reduces to the conventional SFT. Contrary to the equilibrium theory, however, ``unphysical'' variations, i.e., variations that are different on the upper and the lower branches of the Keldysh contour, must be considered to fix the time dependence of the optimal physical parameters via the variational principle. Functional derivatives in the nonequilibrium SFT Euler equation are carried out analytically to derive conditional equations for the variational parameters that are accessible to a numerical evaluation via a time-propagation scheme. Approximations constructed by means of the nonequilibrium SFT are shown to be inherently causal, internally consistent, and to respect macroscopic conservation laws resulting from gauge symmetries of the Hamiltonian. This comprises the nonequilibrium dynamical mean-field theory but also dynamical-impurity and variational-cluster approximations that are specified by reference systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom. In this way, nonperturbative and consistent approximations can be set up, the numerical evaluation of which is accessible to an exact-diagonalization approach.

arXiv:1306.6340Physical Review BOct 18, 201319 citations